HYBE Girl Groups ILLIT & LE SSERAFIM Face Backlash Over NewJeans Hanni Controversy
A storm is brewing on social media as HYBE labelmates ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM face intense scrutiny. Both groups are under fire from NewJeans fans, who are outraged by their alleged problematic behavior towards NewJeans, specifically member Hanni. The controversy reignites debates over past collaborations with actress Ji Yea Un, who previously drew widespread condemnation for her racist mockery of Hanni.
The Resurfaced Dance Challenges and Hanni Mockery
The current controversy stemmed from a recently resurfaced dance challenge in which ILLIT collaborated with actress Ji Yea Un to promote their song, “Do the Dance.”
NewJeans fans quickly pointed out the apparent disconnect: it struck them as odd for ILLIT, a group operating under the same agency umbrella as NewJeans, to participate in a dance trend alongside an actress embroiled in a major 2024 controversy. This actress, Ji Yea Un, was widely criticized for her racist mockery of NewJeans member Hanni. She infamously parodied Hanni’s appearance at the National Assembly for an SNL Korea skit, mimicking her accent and broken Korean.
This issue sparked major backlash in 2024, leading to the official video of the skit eventually being removed from YouTube due to public outcry.
LE SSERAFIM’s Involvement and Growing Fan Outcry
As ILLIT’s dance challenge video began making rounds on social media once more, the spotlight also turned to LE SSERAFIM. Fans were reminded that this other prominent labelmate group of NewJeans had also previously engaged in a dance challenge with Ji Yea Un.
The collective response from NewJeans fans has been one of profound outrage over these discoveries. They argue passionately that if the roles were reversed—if NewJeans had collaborated with an individual who mocked another HYBE artist—the situation would not have been overlooked so easily. This fuels a narrative of perceived double standards within the agency’s management and artist interactions.
Broader Concerns: NewJeans Brand Dilution Under HYBE
mind you newjeans got dragged just for taking a photo with a fan and they didn’t even post it publicly but these bullies can dance with a fucking RACIST who was mocking hanni for struggling with a language that isn’t even her first but her third + these two groups were also… https://t.co/h7Hy8ybxmi
— 🐈⬛ྀིྀི (@dittokja) August 9, 2026
the actual bully group is illit https://t.co/4fldEt2yVW
can’t imagine what would’ve happen if this was newjeans https://t.co/SCgrImHyEA
— revi ✿ (@nwjnsour) August 9, 2026
no wonder illit’s fans were so racist towards Hanni and even went as far as trying to get her deported https://t.co/Fuc79M6lMw pic.twitter.com/TwaRwlAPw1
— avril (@itgirlavril) August 9, 2026
Meanwhile, the debut of new HYBE girl groups has led many netizens to recently raise doubts about the label’s overarching strategy, specifically a concern that they might be trying to dilute the unique branding of NewJeans. This latest controversy only adds further complexity to the ongoing discussion surrounding HYBE’s internal dynamics and its public image.
The situation continues to evolve rapidly, with fans across the K-pop landscape closely monitoring any reactions or statements from the involved agencies and artists as the online debate intensifies.
